The best Godzilla Monsterverse movie of the franchise

Chris

Now that Godzilla vs. Kong has been out for a while and we've had time to process everything I think we can not objectively look at the Monsterverse as a whole and decide which Godzilla movie so far stands out as the best one.

Now, picking the best Godzilla flick isn't easy since everyone's opinion differs but I've listed off what makes each one the best in their own respective right.

For Realism - Godzilla (2014)

It's difficult to make any "realistic" sense of a giant, radioactive monster existing in our world. But of all the Monsterverse flicks, Gareth Edwards' perspective driven approach to Godzilla gave the film as realistic feel as one could expect from such a storyline. Not to mention, I feel like the most care was put into the film's finer details, including special effects and the marketing campaign. To me, Godzilla '14 felt like a more refined film, geared to a more mature audience.

For fan service - Godzilla 2: King of the Monsters (2019)

Without a doubt, Mike Dougherty went all in for the fan service in Godzilla 2 KOTM. Everything from the sheer number of classic Monsters, to using Godzilla's iconic theme song to introducing audiences to Burning Godzilla. KOTM dug deep into Godzilla lore and delivered abundantly. You couldn't help but geek out at every subtle nod and homage to the Toho originals. Godzilla 2 felt like a true Godzilla movie, from start to finish.

For mindless fun - Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

Godzilla vs. Kong is just plain fun. There was no sense of realism, in fact I would say of all the Monsterverse films, GvK is the most unrealistic with the most holiest of plots - but who cares - it was a fun ride! GvK is exactly what it was intended to be and using points referenced by GMan, the film in itself stems from a satirical representation of commercialism. Two giant monsters beating the hell out of each other for 2 hours - what's not to love! Sadly, there was no original Godzilla score, nor was there any jaw rips by Kong. The film misses a lot of homages and could have included more nods to original Toho material. But, it was its own movie and for what it was, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

To boil it down to 1 single best is difficult but if I had to pick, I would say Godzilla 2: King of the Monsters stands out to me as being the best Godzilla movie of the Monsterverse. Although I was very tempted to place Godzilla 2014 as my pick, but it's hard to beat the abundance of pure fan boy fun KOTM provides.

Do you agree? Let me know which Godzilla film is YOUR pick for best of the Monsterverse so far!

Xenotaris

Can't decide though 2014 has a special place in my heart above the rest

Djdndnejwnwn

Hmmmm... 
what’s the difference between fan service and mindless fun

G. H. (Gman)

SarcasticGoji,
I think fan service can be done without mindless fun, but it does seem like a throwaway gimmick in most cases. Some movies and shows do it more tastefully and, perhaps more importantly, with more significance to the story than others.

Fan service refers to callbacks and homages to the franchise proper. Mindless fun is, well... Godzilla vs. Kong.

SasquaDash

As much as I really like Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs Kong, I personally think that Godzilla 2014 is the best MonsterVerse Godzilla film.

sonictiger

GVK is so much better than the other two, I'm sorry.

Djdndnejwnwn

I still am disagreeing, I’m gonna stay firm in KOTM...

RomanPort

I made an account to reply to this. King of the Monsters is easily my favorite of the four. I love the relationship humans and kaiju had in that film, and I really liked how it painted Godzilla as less of a monster and more just misunderstood. It hit the perfect balance of kaiju and humans. I've watched KotM again and again, and I still enjoy it more every time. I can't say I could do the same for Godzilla vs Kong.

KotM also has some of my favorite scenes throughout the entire MonsterVerse too. I could go on and on about them but I don't want to spam images. Some of my favorites are the scene where Dr Serizawa revives Godzilla, and this one of Rodan.

I hope we get another one like KotM so, so badly...

sonictiger

Yeah, but KOTM had character issues, tonal issues, and a very bad script.

But then again, theses movies don't have the best scriptwriters...

But GVK had a focused direction, and it never wavered.

G. H. (Gman)

King of the Monsters is many things, but tonally uneven is not one of them. That's one of the things I quite like about the film.

Djdndnejwnwn

sonictiger

I don’t judge KOTM just by it’s faults, it has many positives for me as well. To judge a movie by faults alone and not the things it did right is ridiculous. For me it’s pros outweigh the cons.

alamoido

KOTM is my favorite, it expanded so much the Monsterverse, with new monsters and classic ones, i found GvK disappointing.

sonictiger

Oh come on---

Djdndnejwnwn

sonictiger
I know it has issues, but I still like it.

sonictiger

I like KOTM too, but what the heck is wrong with GVK huh?

Djdndnejwnwn

sonictiger

I never said I don’t like GVK. I just like KOTM better.

Monsterzero9

my favorites gvk

sonictiger

YES ME TOO

TexanGodzilla

i like all

Djdndnejwnwn

it’s a little hard when the selection is small.

G. H. (Gman)

SarcasticGoji,
I think it's much easier--Especially with the massive quality difference between each film.

Trash panda

GvK is my absolute favorite. I do agree with Xenotaris, 2014 does have a special place in my heart, but GvK was just pure fun and I really enjoyed it. Especially Kong taking down MG.

Chris

*Added a poll to this topic since Polls weren't an option when I started this topic originally*

7amey

2014 is definitely the best for me. Its gloomy, mysterious tone, its slow yet elaborate buildup and the sensational score are all superbly handled. Godzilla had a majestic feel to him, and the brilliant sense of scale only elevated that.

7amey

The MUTOS are unlike any other creature, and yet it still feels believable. Their differences in sex are also very interesting.

7amey

The monster battles is quite dark, but it contributes to the film's vibe. Gareth saved everything for the third act, and it satisfied in the end.

7amey

Also the way the monsters moved, the way they behaved, felt like real animals. Godzilla in KoTM and GvK had facial expressions, which was nice, but it took away the brute animal-like feel to the creatures and gave them a godlike sense. I actually preferred the former. Quoting Bryan Cranston, "Godzilla is a beast and you have to face it."

MilqueChocolate

Godzilla 2014 opened up a beautiful path a universe and still is one of the best Godzilla/monster films out there for me. KOTM I've been bashing a bit too hard and that's due to my disappointment with the usage of the monsters. I still believe they deserved better and should've had time to solidify a presence in that world. GvK utilizes everything I wanted to see in a kaiju battle. It doesn't restrain itself, it keeps the camera on them because they are the main focus, and their movement and combat is so damn fluid. 

Jordan502

Oh without any hesitation and without a doubt KoTM is the better one of the franchise so far.

SasquaDash

I picked Kong: Skull Island as my favorite MonsterVerse film.

(Godzilla 2014 is my favorite out of the "Godzilla" MonsterVerse movies)

Kattozilla

I really liked GvK, but 14 is special to me, because it was the first one I've seen (i mean, i think that was because its the first one in the series-)

but yeah, 14. i like that one